Senegalese music star Thione Seck charged over millions of dollars of fake bank notes

Mr Seck says he's the victim of a scam

Thione Seck performs at a festival in 2011 (Creative Commons / Michael Hoefner)

A Senegalese singer has been charged with money laundering after millions of dollars worth of fake bank notes were found in his home.

Thione Seck is one of Sengal’s biggest celebrities and is well known for producing music of the ‘mbalakh’ genre.

He has previously been nominated for BBC Radio 3’s World Music Album of the Year.

BBC News reports that a counterfeiting machine was allegedly found at the home of another man who was arrested as part of the same police operation.

He is set to appear in court on Tuesday and spent the night in prison, the public broadcaster reports.

Local media reports that he and the other arrested man could both face life in prison if found guilty.

The artist owns a nightclub in the country’s capital Dakar and has produced a number of hit songs.

The 60-year-old’s lawyers say he is the victim of a scam and that he thought he was receiving real money in payment for a tour.

He says he was cheated out of 85 million CFA francs, or about £90,000.

Sengal is a country in West Africa and has a population of 13 million, about 3 million of whom live in the capital, Dakar.